Registering device for envelope blanks



July 5, 1949. s. w. HENRY 2,474,944

REGISTERING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPE BDANKS I Filed Jan. 12, 1946 3 Sheetsl-Sheet 1 July 5, 1949. I s. w. HENRY 2,474,944

REGISTERING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPE BLANKS Filed Jan. 12, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I 5 hqla W. Henry @tgb.

July 5, 1949. s. w. HENRY 2,474,944

, REGISTERING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPE BLANKS Filed Jan. 12, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Shula W. Henry Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED REGISTERING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPE BLANKS Shala W. Henry, Westwood, Mass., assignor to Boston Envelope 00., Dedham, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 12, 1946, Serial No. 640,857

Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for making envelopes.

Such machines are commonly equipped with creasing means, frequently in the form of creasing rolls, for making in each envelope blank the creases where the blank is to be folded in forming the envelope.

In order that each envelope may be properly formed, it is important that the creases should be correctly placed on the blank.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of my present invention to provide novel means by which each envelope blank is correctly positioned before it is fed to the creasing means, thereby to insure that the creases in each envelope blank will be correctly positioned.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment of my invention which will now be described and after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating my improved means for properly positioning each envelope blank as it is fed to the creasing rolls.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the way my improvements function to straighten an improperly placed envelope blank.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a. section on the line 55, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view showing an envelope blank with the creases properly made therein.

Fig. '7 is a section on the line I'I, Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 6, I indicates an envelope blank from which an envelope is to be made, said blank being provided with the crease 2 on which the bottom flap 3 of the envelope is folded over, and the top crease 6 on which the sealing flap 7 is folded over, the latter being shown as provided with the gummed portion 8 for the sealing of the envelope. In the final forming of the envelope the end flaps 5 of the blank are folded over on the fold lines 4.

Envelope blanks are commonly made with the indentations 9 at the points where the creases 2 and 4 meet and other indentations H1 at the points where the creases 4 and 6 meet.

When each one of the uncreased blanks with its indentations is fed to the creasing means of the envelope machine, it is important that the blank should be properly positioned so that when it is acted on by the creasing means, the creases will be formed correctly as indicated in Fig. 6 that is, the crease 6 will be formed so as to extend from the apex of one indentation II to that of the other; the crease 2 will be formed to extend from the apex of one indentation 9, to that of the other. a t

If the blank is improperly positioned with relation to the direction of feed when it is fed to the creasing means, the creases will not be formed correctly on the blank and the envelope made from the blank will be defective.

As stated above, it is the object of the present invention to provide novel means to insure that each envelope blank will be properly fed to the creasing means.

The creasing means herein shown comprises the usual creasing rollers II and I2 which are mounted on suitable shafts I3 and I 4 and are driven in any appropriate way. The creasing roll I! is shown as having the usual creasing bars I5 on its periphery, one of which is commonly made adjustable to adapt the roll for creasing envelope blanks of different sizes. roll I 2 is usually made of rubber. When an envelope blank I is fed between the creasing rolls,.

the creasing bars I5 on the roll II will operate to produce the two creases 2 and 6 in the blank as it passes between the creasing rolls.

The means I have herein shown for properly positioning each envelope blank just prior to its delivery to the creasing rolls comprises the usual pair of front gauges I! adapted to engage in the notches 9 of the blank as it is fed forward, and a pair of rear gauges adapted to engage the notches in of the blank and which have not only a movement toward the front gauges but a movement toward each other, such dual movement functioning to shift the position of any improperly positioned blank so as to place it in the correct position for the creasing operation.

Each front gauge I! is carried by an inverted L-shaped arm I8 which is fast on a rock shaft 49 that is mounted in the frame of the machine.

Each gauge I! is carried by the forward end of the horizontal portion of its supporting arm l8,

and when the arm is in operative position, the portion carrying the gauge I! extends horizontally and. the gauge I! projects slightly above the path of movement of the envelope blanks as they are fed to the creasing rolls. Some suitable or usual means is provided for oscillating the rock shaft 49 so as to move the arms I8 The rear gauges 20 are carried by a suitable I; .rock shaft 2] J'ournaled in the frame of the ma- The 3 chine and said rock shaft has fast thereon two rearwardly extending arms 22,.one for each rearv gauge 20, arrdfeacharm has a postZii rigid there-- with and rising therefrom. On the top of each post 23 is mounted a head member 24 by which, one of the rear gauges is carried. Each head 24 is formed with the curved beak" portion 25'; at? the rear of which the rear gauge 20 is situated.

each head 24 having the flat, surface 26 on which the gauge can slide transversely." Mountediim each head is a transversely extending plunger 21 which is provided with a laterally extending stem 28 operating in a slot 29 extending from" the plunger 21 to the surface 26. The plunger 2 1.-is provided at its inner end with an extension 30 which is surrounded by a coil spring 3|, the. latter bearingv at one end against the head. 24 and. the other end against a collar or cotter pin 32 carried by the extension 30.; The spring 3! normally holds the gauge 20 in its. outer position.

During the operation of the. machine, the rock shaft 2| is oscillatin in timed relation with the feed of the individual envelope blanks to the creasing rolls so that when each blank is being fed forward into engagement with the front gauges I1, the rear gauges 20' have been swung.

into their inoperative position shown in dotted lines Fig. 1, in which position they are below the path of travel of' the envelope blank. When the envelope. blank'has been forwarded into engagement with the front gauges [1, then the shaft 2| is, operated to swing'the-rear gauges from the dotted line to the full line position Fig. 1', and durin this movement said rear gauges move into the notches Ill of the envelope. blank. The faces creases-correctly formed thereon. Such laterally shifting movement of therear gauges 20 is produced by stationary cam members 35 which are situated to be engaged by the ends, of the plunger extensions 30 as the gauges move from their inoperative totheir operative positions. members 35 are preferably adjustably mounted so that'they :can' be set. to accommodate envelopes'of" different sizes. Each cam member is shown as provided witha stem 36 which extends through the upright portion 3Tof a bracket arm 38 that is'mounted on a supporting bar 39. Each stem; 36"isheld in' adjusted'position'by means of a set screw llll The supporting bar 39 may be secured tothe frame of the machine in any appropriate. way." As herein shown. it is clamped at itsfront. and to a rod 4| extending transversely of themacliine'and atits rear end it rests on a second rod 42'; these'rods being such as" are usually found in; envelope machinesof'this type.

The'rock'shafts 49 and"2l may be'operatediin timed relation by any suitable means; and I have shown'herein a suitable cam mechanism for thus oscillating the shafts; The shaft 49 hasan' arm depending from it which is actuated by'a cam. 44;- said'armhavinga pullin spring 45 connected thereto for maintaining'conta'ct' of the arm withth'e'cam. The shaft'Zl is also shown as having a depe di ga m 4. whi is cted. on by a su table m said m: o: einst rther acted on by.

The-cant a pulling spring 48 which holds the arm in engagement. with, the cam., Thetwq cams and 41 may b driven fromzany' appropriate moving part of the machine.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the rear gauges operate to straighten up any improperly placed envelope just before it is fed to the creasing rolls.

If itbe assumed that. an envelope which is being fiad tdthev creasing. rolls has the improper angular position. shown in-dotted lines Fig. 3, it will be apparent that if the envelope were fed to the creasing rolls in such improperly placed angular position, the creases 2 and 6 would not be correctly formed on the blank.

With my invention. however, as the, rear gauges move from their inoperative position shown in dotted lines Figs. 1 and 3 into their operative position shown in full lines, the forward movement of the gauges not only'holds the envelope. blank properly against the front gauges H, but the transverse movement of the rear gauges 201 caused by the cams 35 will serve to straighten the blank andshiftj it from its iinpropenangular position illustrated bythe dottbd'lines Fig 3, to" its correct angular position illustrated by'tlie full lines, and therefore when the front gauges. are depressed or moved into their inoperative'position to allow the envelope-blank} to be'fed to the creasing rolls, said envelopeblank will be properly positioned and the creases 2," and 6 will thereby be correctly made in the blank.

I claim:

1 In an envelope machine, a; pair'of front" gauges to engage notches in' the two adjacent leading" sides of'the envelopeblank as'it is fed? forward, a rock shaft extending at right angles to the direction of feed, a pair of bracket'scarried thereby, a rear gauge-mounted on each bracket and movable thereon" in a direction toward the other gauge, each rear gauge having a camengaging projection; means to oscillate the'rock shaft thereby to move the rear gauges towardjthe front gauges; and a stationarycam with which each projection is brought intoengagementjduring the final portion of the forward movement of the rear gauges and by whiclisaid rear gauges are shifted towards each other thereby to straighten any improperly positioned envelope blank which is engaged" by the front gauges.

2. In an envelope machine; a pair of front gauges to engage notches in" the two adjacent leading sides of an envelope'bl'ank as it is fed" forward and thereby arrest its forward move:- ment, a rock shaft; a pair of brackets. carried thereby, a rear gauge mounted on each bracket.

and provided with'a lateral projection, each rear to be engaged by 'each' projection. during thefinal.

forward movement of the corresponding rear.

au e therebytQ ore s idreair eaus s bwarde each oth r a t ey m re t w rdth front au es. 3'. In an envelope machine, a pair of front,

gaugesto; engage the' two adjacent. leadingsides of an envelope blank-as it is fed'forward, va. rock shaft; a pair of brackets carried thereby, each bracket having a head portion, a .plungenmounted in each head P01111013}, for movement. relative thereto. in a directiontransverse to the direction ofifeedingimovement of the envelope blank a rear. au e a r d;- it each} head. P ti n a ri id y connectedto the corresponding plunger meaip;

to rock said rock shaft thereby to give the rear gauges a movement toward the front gauges, and stationary cam members situated to be engaged by said plungers during the final forward movement of the rear gauges thereby to move the plungers and the gauges connected thereto to ward each other.

4. In an envelope machine, a pair of front positioning gauges to engage the two adjacent leading sides of an envelope blank as it is fed forward, a rock shaft, a pair of brackets thereon, a rear gauge mounted on each bracket for limited movement toward and from the other gauge, a spring acting on each rear gauge and normally holding it in an outer extreme portion, means to rock the rock shaft and thereby give the rear gauges a forward swinging movement, and stationary cam means operative during the final forward movement of the rear gauges to move them on the brackets toward each other in opposition to said springs, thereby to correct the position of a misplaced envelope blank.

5. In an envelope machine, a pair of front gauges to engage the two adjacent leading sides REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 385,524- Rheutan July 3, 1888 1,066,528 Randolph July 8, 1913 1,131,836 Heywood Mar. 16, 1915 2,003,236 Winkler July 16, 1935 

